'Survivor: Caramoan' recap, 'Persona Non Grata'

[Note: Sorry there was no recap last week; I had technical troubles, and wasn’t close to my PVR. (Lesson learned, I’m taking it everywhere with me from now on.) So, of course, a ton of things happened, including Shamar leaving the game for medical reasons, and then the rest of the Fans realized that they couldn’t get rid of Eddie or Reynold if they wanted a chance of winning, well, anything. So then they voted out Laura instead.]

This week, it seems Brandon’s Crazy will go from whispering in his ear to taking full control of his body. And I don’t think even the editing monkeys could have pulled one over on us this time ... so let’s get into this episode, shall we?

Back at the Fans camp after Tribal Council, Sherry is feeling bad about getting rid of Laura both from a personal and a gameplay standpoint. Reynold doesn’t regret using the Idol, since the last two times he trusted what his tribemates said, he lost out.

At the Favorites camp, it seems that Brandon is going off on a tangent, and Malcolm looks really uncomfortable. He’s missing his family, and feels bad about leaving them this long. Umm, hasn’t he done this before? Doesn’t he know exactly what he was getting himself into? He misses his family so much, in fact, that he volunteers to go home at the next tribal council. Then he volunteers the factoid that he was going to burn the shelter down and pee in the rice. This is all said so gleefully that it seems that the Crazy is now in full control.

And it’s the next morning, and Brandon is still talking. Must be fun to be on that tribe. But, after a night’s sleep, it seems he was a little hasty in wanting to leave, so he’s going to tough it out. Maybe you shouldn’t have let the rest of the tribe know how unhinged you are.

Reward Challenge time! It’s an endurance challenge, and the prize is a BBQ feast. I’m not even starving on a tropical island and that spread looks pretty good. Two people from each tribe are holding ropes that hold up nets. The rest of the people are filling those nets with coconuts. Last person holding up the net wins.

Philip and Brandon are holding for the Favorites, and Michael and Matt are holding for the Fans. Brandon and Matt are out first, and it comes down to a struggle between Philip and Michael. It looks like the Favorites are better at getting the coconuts in the nets, and Michael is out first, although it looks like Philip wouldn’t have been too far behind.

Back at the Fans camp, there is a whole bunch of disappointed people. It was really close, though. Sherry is pissed that she got rid of Laura and they still lost, but does she not realize that she was totally the dead weight during that challenge? I don’t think she got a single coconut in the net.

Matt is looking for the Idol, and so is Reynold. Well, pretty much the whole tribe is looking for it, and I don’t blame them. But, of course, Reynold finds it again. He decides to not tell anyone he has it, well, except for Eddie.

There’s a BBQ going on at the Favorites camp, and Brandon seems to be the person manning the grill. Brandon is mad because he feels like Philip is taking credit for the challenge win ... which ... he did. He lasted the longest, and he won the challenge for the tribe. Malcolm and Corinne and the rest getting coconuts in the fans nest was important too, but I think Brandon’s feeling bad that he was the first to let go.

So of course, Brandon and Philip start arguing, which it pretty much the pot and the kettle getting into it. I find their conversations really hard to handle, but it seems like they make up to each other’s faces, while trashing the other in confessional.

It has been raining for about two days, and Matt’s feet look really nasty. Like been submerged in water for about a month nasty. So everyone is wet and miserable. Michael seems to be the only to try and keep his spirits up.

At the Favorites camp, they are also wet, but not so miserable. I think they have a better shelter, plus all the extra food has to help.

Ooh, and Brandon’s yelling in the confessional with total Crazy Eyes, so I don’t think this is going to go well. The rest of the tribe is also noticing his visible deterioration, and Philip is considering throwing the challenge just so they can get rid of Brandon. Andrea tries to talk to Brandon about the rest of the way the tribe, namely Philip, is feeling, because she doesn’t realize that you don’t engage the Crazy. You try not to make eye contact and mind your own business.